What do you think?
Rate this book
Roaring Twenties #2
Grim Shadows
It’s the Roaring Twenties in foggy San Francisco. Prohibition is on, inhibitions are low, and dark magic is rolling into town…
Archaeologist Lowe Magnusson is packing something everyone wants. The djed amulet, a priceless Egyptian artifact, will fetch Lowe a hefty paycheck from one of San Francisco’s wealthiest. But when the handsome Swede runs into his patron’s uptight daughter, what he once considered easy money becomes maddeningly complicated…
Cursed with deadly spirits as her constant companions, curator Hadley Bacall must keep calm to hold her dangerous specters at bay and prevent them from lashing out at anything—or anyone. Trouble is, Lowe is driving her crazy, but her father needs the artifact he’s transporting. While Hadley can feel the amulet’s power, she can’t fathom the destruction—or the desire—it’s about to stir up.
Archaeologist Lowe Magnusson is packing something everyone wants. The djed amulet, a priceless Egyptian artifact, will fetch Lowe a hefty paycheck from one of San Francisco’s wealthiest. But when the handsome Swede runs into his patron’s uptight daughter, what he once considered easy money becomes maddeningly complicated…
Cursed with deadly spirits as her constant companions, curator Hadley Bacall must keep calm to hold her dangerous specters at bay and prevent them from lashing out at anything—or anyone. Trouble is, Lowe is driving her crazy, but her father needs the artifact he’s transporting. While Hadley can feel the amulet’s power, she can’t fathom the destruction—or the desire—it’s about to stir up.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 3, 2014
28 people are currently reading
1466 people want to read
About the author
Jenn Bennett
27 books4,910 followersJenn Bennett is the author of over a dozen books for children and teens, including: ALEX, APPROXIMATELY; STARRY EYES; and GRUMBONES. She also writes romance and fantasy for adults. Her books have earned multiple starred reviews, been Goodreads Choice Award nominees, and have been included on annual Best Book lists for both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. She lives in a haunted house near Birmingham with one husband and two dogs. Visit her at www.jennbennett.net.
Follow her on:
Twitter
Instagram
Follow her on:
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
December 30, 2015
3,5 Stars
San Francisco, 1928
Having read and really liked Bitter Spirits, book 1 in the Roaring Twenties series, it's back to the exciting jazz-age misty city for another adventure in the Magnusson family. This time it's Lowe's turn to find a flapper of his own.
Part archaeologist, part conman, part shameless charmer, Lowe has just returned to San Francisco after a long digging expedition in Egypt, bringing home with him a precious artefact that will trigger a chain of events leading him to first meet Hadley Bacall, intriguing scholar and expert, and then to face ruthless enemies hailing both from this world and the "other." Their initial attraction soon grows into something deeper, but Hadley's past, carrying a legacy of ominous threats, won't let it have a chance and is ready to unleash any sort of evil to get what it came back for.
Once again, thanks to a well-plotted and well-thought storyline, Jenn Bennett brings to life the lively and alluring atmosphere of the Twenties and the Prohibition era. If in the first book Chinese folklore was the main source of inspiration for the paranormal elements making the action tick, in Grim Shadows is Egyptian mythology lending its lore to provide the imaginative blend and crash of the two parallel dimensions.
From the smooth writing to the engaging pace and the inventive twists and turns, everything work fine and I would have surely given the book a higher rating if it hadn't been for the rather disappointing romance, mainly ruined by the hero's characterisation. I loved Hadley, she was an intelligent and independent 29 yrs-old woman who perfectly fit the idea of Twenties glamour and charm, realistically oscillating between modernity and rétro demureness, with her own endearing vulnerabilities... and with a wardrobe that would have made my beloved Miss Phryne Fisher proud (and from which I'd gladly borrow a thing or two even today). Lowe on the other hand ended up being a sort of unresolved personality. It's one of those rarer historical romances where the heroine is older than the hero, a negligible four years difference by the way, but this was not the problem, his immaturity and carelessness were. At the beginning his daring devil-may-care disposition contrasted nicely with Hadley's much more poised nature, though as the story progressed his choices never stopped having a too marked self-serving flavour, making fall the burden of the emotional sorting out exclusively on Hadley's shoulders. All through the end.
So great plot, narration and setting notwithstanding, I never truly bought that these two really belonged and that Lowe deserved Hadley. Anyway as a whole, still a worthy addition to the series.
Buddy-read with Anna :)
May 31, 2014
4.5 Stars
I LOVED Bitter Spirits so I was eager to get my hand on Grim Shadows. It did not disappoint! Grim Shadows is a wickedly fun paranormal romance, complete with danger, and mystery, set in the glorious 1920s. Jenn Bennett thrills again with Lowe’s story!
Lowe Magnusson is back home from Egypt after excavating a mystical djed amulet “purported to open a door to the land of the dead” but Lowe could care less about that. He just plans to sell it to the highest bidder, to get him out of some hot water. This is how he meets Hadley Bacall, a curator at de Young Museum whose father is the most promising buyer so far. Hadley is standoffish and seems to be wound very tight, but Lowe can’t help but be intrigued by this icy woman. They don’t get off on the best foot, but that makes it all the more fun.
Hadley is sent to meet with Lowe and arrange buying the amulet her father scoured Egypt for. Mr. Bacall is willing to pay a hefty price to Lowe, yet something about him gets sets her senses prickling. He’s charming, and gorgeous (my character picks), but he screams scoundrel. Unfortunately, Hadley’s father plans insinuate Lowe further into her life. He’s hired Lowe to find the missing pieces of the amulet, and as icing on the cake the directorship of the museum once Mr. Bacall retires. Hadley will have none of that, because she’s worked hard to make sure that job will be hers. Working close together ignites desires in Hadley that could prove dangerous, because there are supernatural reasons she keeps everyone at arm’s length.
Lowe’s smarts, crafty imagination, and good looks make it easy to charm himself in or out of anything he wants. He has no qualms about bending the truth to do it. The clever cover stories Lowe concocts to aid in their investigations had me cracking up! Lowe was impulsive and always out for the next big deal, but we find out there is a reason behind that, and you begin to realize he is a good man underneath all the trickery.
Hadley was basically raised by her nannies and after her mother died she inherited the dark spirits that come out whenever she can’t control her anger. It’s easy to understand why Hadley wasn’t close to anyone. She’s never had any romantic entanglement stir up half the emotions and intense longing she feels for Lowe. Their encounters were delicious and lusty! Hadley and Lowe’s relationship starts out antagonistic with sparks of desire simmering just below the surface. Their banter had me laughing:
“Are you here to make my life miserable?”
“I’m here to empty your father’s bank account. Making you miserable is a bonus.”
Every interaction was crackling with heat and the sensual build up, and it was a welcome torture. I loved Hadley’s her secret frivolity that showed her to be a passionate woman in spite of her exterior reserve. Seeing her passion come out in the midst of all the danger was a complete pleasure!
Jenn Bennett continues to impress me with her writing talents. She transports you to the 1920s effortlessly, and it’s clear she did a lot of research on the time period and location. Yet, I never felt it overshadowed the overall story. Ms. Bennett writes realistic, multilayered characters, and a plot that keeps you at the edge of your seat. I can’t wait for the next in the series, Grave Phantoms, Astrid and Bo’s story!
A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
You can find this review and more at The Readers Den.
I LOVED Bitter Spirits so I was eager to get my hand on Grim Shadows. It did not disappoint! Grim Shadows is a wickedly fun paranormal romance, complete with danger, and mystery, set in the glorious 1920s. Jenn Bennett thrills again with Lowe’s story!
Lowe Magnusson is back home from Egypt after excavating a mystical djed amulet “purported to open a door to the land of the dead” but Lowe could care less about that. He just plans to sell it to the highest bidder, to get him out of some hot water. This is how he meets Hadley Bacall, a curator at de Young Museum whose father is the most promising buyer so far. Hadley is standoffish and seems to be wound very tight, but Lowe can’t help but be intrigued by this icy woman. They don’t get off on the best foot, but that makes it all the more fun.
Hadley is sent to meet with Lowe and arrange buying the amulet her father scoured Egypt for. Mr. Bacall is willing to pay a hefty price to Lowe, yet something about him gets sets her senses prickling. He’s charming, and gorgeous (my character picks), but he screams scoundrel. Unfortunately, Hadley’s father plans insinuate Lowe further into her life. He’s hired Lowe to find the missing pieces of the amulet, and as icing on the cake the directorship of the museum once Mr. Bacall retires. Hadley will have none of that, because she’s worked hard to make sure that job will be hers. Working close together ignites desires in Hadley that could prove dangerous, because there are supernatural reasons she keeps everyone at arm’s length.
Lowe’s smarts, crafty imagination, and good looks make it easy to charm himself in or out of anything he wants. He has no qualms about bending the truth to do it. The clever cover stories Lowe concocts to aid in their investigations had me cracking up! Lowe was impulsive and always out for the next big deal, but we find out there is a reason behind that, and you begin to realize he is a good man underneath all the trickery.
Hadley was basically raised by her nannies and after her mother died she inherited the dark spirits that come out whenever she can’t control her anger. It’s easy to understand why Hadley wasn’t close to anyone. She’s never had any romantic entanglement stir up half the emotions and intense longing she feels for Lowe. Their encounters were delicious and lusty! Hadley and Lowe’s relationship starts out antagonistic with sparks of desire simmering just below the surface. Their banter had me laughing:
“Are you here to make my life miserable?”
“I’m here to empty your father’s bank account. Making you miserable is a bonus.”
Every interaction was crackling with heat and the sensual build up, and it was a welcome torture. I loved Hadley’s her secret frivolity that showed her to be a passionate woman in spite of her exterior reserve. Seeing her passion come out in the midst of all the danger was a complete pleasure!
Jenn Bennett continues to impress me with her writing talents. She transports you to the 1920s effortlessly, and it’s clear she did a lot of research on the time period and location. Yet, I never felt it overshadowed the overall story. Ms. Bennett writes realistic, multilayered characters, and a plot that keeps you at the edge of your seat. I can’t wait for the next in the series, Grave Phantoms, Astrid and Bo’s story!
A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
You can find this review and more at The Readers Den.
September 3, 2017
3.5 stars
Rage and hurt called the Mori, who rose up from the floor. Dark limbs, blinking eyes, grotesque features. Monsters, fueled by her pain. Dead things pulled from the Spirit World. Things she didn't understand and could barely control, but they coalesced into a writhing mass of gloom and shifting shadow, crawling up the marble walls and columns. Sniffing out opportunity as they tugged images from her mind. Command us, they whispered inside her head. Dark avengers, read and willing to do her bidding. To avenge her through abhorrent deeds. Through fright. Injury. And death.
Reading this for the Ghost square for Halloween Bingo, put in a mindset for a more spooky feel, which was probably a bit unfair. The supernatural/paranormal aspect of the Mori spirits that haunted our heroine took too much of a backseat. They come out to play, blast some windows out and try to murder people with chandeliers but they still stayed too much to the background. We don't get the full explanation for them until towards the later half of the book and for having such a huge impact on our heroine's life, they weren't really addressed with any solid conclusion.
The separate storyline of ancient Egyptian curses, puzzles, and hunting enemies was incredible fun and entertaining but again, I wanted it to be more flushed out; I didn't feel like we really got to know the villain and all his dark deviousness. I wanted this book to be 500pgs, lol.
The romance was fun, too. The couple's first sex scene felt deep and was hot. However, with everything happening with the supernatural storyline, the couple's relationship took a bit of hit. Both our characters had rich background stories and secondary characters that were full in their own right and only added to the depth of our main couple. The author put in the details for a rich story but it lacked the page count for deep life.
There were some spooky moments and sexy times, I'll definitely be reading about the hero's younger sister and their servant/bodyguard in the next book.
"Well, together we might get somewhere, because if you can brew us up some tea and make toast, I'll fry us up some eggs." He glanced down at the purring ball of fur nosing his way into their conversation. "Eggs for three, I suppose. Or maybe we should feed him the deviled ham and see if it'll turn him in to Number Five."
"Big talk. At the rate you two are going you'll be kicking me out of the covers and cuddling up with him instead."
"Not on your life." He grazed a barely there finger down her hip as she passed, sending a tiny shiver racing below the silk of her robe. "I like your claws better."
Rage and hurt called the Mori, who rose up from the floor. Dark limbs, blinking eyes, grotesque features. Monsters, fueled by her pain. Dead things pulled from the Spirit World. Things she didn't understand and could barely control, but they coalesced into a writhing mass of gloom and shifting shadow, crawling up the marble walls and columns. Sniffing out opportunity as they tugged images from her mind. Command us, they whispered inside her head. Dark avengers, read and willing to do her bidding. To avenge her through abhorrent deeds. Through fright. Injury. And death.
Reading this for the Ghost square for Halloween Bingo, put in a mindset for a more spooky feel, which was probably a bit unfair. The supernatural/paranormal aspect of the Mori spirits that haunted our heroine took too much of a backseat. They come out to play, blast some windows out and try to murder people with chandeliers but they still stayed too much to the background. We don't get the full explanation for them until towards the later half of the book and for having such a huge impact on our heroine's life, they weren't really addressed with any solid conclusion.
The separate storyline of ancient Egyptian curses, puzzles, and hunting enemies was incredible fun and entertaining but again, I wanted it to be more flushed out; I didn't feel like we really got to know the villain and all his dark deviousness. I wanted this book to be 500pgs, lol.
The romance was fun, too. The couple's first sex scene felt deep and was hot. However, with everything happening with the supernatural storyline, the couple's relationship took a bit of hit. Both our characters had rich background stories and secondary characters that were full in their own right and only added to the depth of our main couple. The author put in the details for a rich story but it lacked the page count for deep life.
There were some spooky moments and sexy times, I'll definitely be reading about the hero's younger sister and their servant/bodyguard in the next book.
"Well, together we might get somewhere, because if you can brew us up some tea and make toast, I'll fry us up some eggs." He glanced down at the purring ball of fur nosing his way into their conversation. "Eggs for three, I suppose. Or maybe we should feed him the deviled ham and see if it'll turn him in to Number Five."
"Big talk. At the rate you two are going you'll be kicking me out of the covers and cuddling up with him instead."
"Not on your life." He grazed a barely there finger down her hip as she passed, sending a tiny shiver racing below the silk of her robe. "I like your claws better."
October 9, 2019
This is second in a series, but it's mostly setting that carries over from the first. Well, Aida plays a role in a single instance and Winter shows up occasionally, but it's nothing important that you won't get from context. So you can read this as a stand-alone if you like.
I had high hopes that this would turn out much better than the first. The mystery seemed to be progressing well with main characters actually progressing on their quest and finding clues and stuff you'd expect in a decent mystery. Or so I thought. You learn pretty early that there is an active antagonist working behind the scenes and the initial MacGuffin of the guy Lowe owes for a past shady deal is quickly discarded as magical opposition arises. So it eventually occurred to me that everything they were doing was completely tangential to learning who it was, what (s)he wanted, and/or what they could do to mitigate the meddling. So yet again, just like the first book, they meet the bad guy in the end because he introduces himself as his plans culminate and the (not-really) heroes fumble about and end up thwarting him by chance and plucky derring-do.
Fortunately the romance didn't suck. Until it morphed into a hoover with it's on-switch stuck to maximum power. I really enjoyed Lowe working to figure Hadley's phobias out. I enjoyed their interactions over all, including (maybe especially) the worlds worst first kiss. They had great banter and their initial tender moments were outstanding. And then Bennett got all weird and they crashed into stupid assumptions, self-hate, and distrust.
I finished this book on inertia and stupidity with a huge helping of bitter disappointment. Even the ending didn't really work for me with . Which sounds worse than it really is because I don't really regret the time or acquisition or finishing the story. The setting is awesome and I liked the version of the characters that resides in my head (that are informed by the trajectory of the first half of the book). So I'm giving it three stars that it absolutely does not deserve.
A note about Steamy: There are a couple of explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. Unfortunately, the last one is just dumb—New Adulty in a not-good kind of way. So yet another aspect of the story that showed promise only to explode in a fiery ball of death in the end.
I had high hopes that this would turn out much better than the first. The mystery seemed to be progressing well with main characters actually progressing on their quest and finding clues and stuff you'd expect in a decent mystery. Or so I thought. You learn pretty early that there is an active antagonist working behind the scenes and the initial MacGuffin of the guy Lowe owes for a past shady deal is quickly discarded as magical opposition arises. So it eventually occurred to me that everything they were doing was completely tangential to learning who it was, what (s)he wanted, and/or what they could do to mitigate the meddling. So yet again, just like the first book, they meet the bad guy in the end because he introduces himself as his plans culminate and the (not-really) heroes fumble about and end up thwarting him by chance and plucky derring-do.
Fortunately the romance didn't suck. Until it morphed into a hoover with it's on-switch stuck to maximum power. I really enjoyed Lowe working to figure Hadley's phobias out. I enjoyed their interactions over all, including (maybe especially) the worlds worst first kiss. They had great banter and their initial tender moments were outstanding. And then Bennett got all weird and they crashed into stupid assumptions, self-hate, and distrust.
I finished this book on inertia and stupidity with a huge helping of bitter disappointment. Even the ending didn't really work for me with . Which sounds worse than it really is because I don't really regret the time or acquisition or finishing the story. The setting is awesome and I liked the version of the characters that resides in my head (that are informed by the trajectory of the first half of the book). So I'm giving it three stars that it absolutely does not deserve.
A note about Steamy: There are a couple of explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. Unfortunately, the last one is just dumb—New Adulty in a not-good kind of way. So yet another aspect of the story that showed promise only to explode in a fiery ball of death in the end.
August 13, 2014
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
Let me just start this review by saying that Jenn Bennett can do no wrong! Her Urban Fantasy series is among my top 5 in its genre, and now she’s also landed a spot on my Paranormal Romance list with ROARING TWENTIES. The first installment introduced readers to bootlegging and speakeasies; now it’s GRIM SHADOWS’ turn to bring forgery and treasure hunting to life. Once again I loved absolutely everything about this book! Bennett’s writing immediately sucks you right in, and then her characters and universe keep you hooked until the very last page.
I loved how different this novel was compared to BITTER SPIRITS; the 1920′s feel remains at the forefront, and the story still revolves around the Magnusson family, but there were more paranormal elements in this installment and the plot focused on mystery rather than danger—although, there was a bit of the latter as well. I enjoyed experiencing the thrill of the hunt through both an archaeologist’s POV, and that of an academic; putting the pieces of the djed amulet puzzle together alongside the protagonists was exciting, and uncovering the real truth behind it all was even more thrilling. Then of course there are the supernatural goodies like the Mori, fire giant, AND griffin—yes folks, this book has it all!
At first, I thought there was no way that the younger Magnusson brother was going to be able to compete with Winter, but of course leave it to Bennett to make me feel like a hussy! Lowe’s a con man, a liar and a player so it’s easy to discount him; however he’s just so gosh darned charming with his sexy Swedish accent, way with words and handsome bod. It’s hard to believe a single thing that comes out of this man’s mouth, but he somehow manages to make deceit look hot. Hadley’s his polar opposite with her funeral-like fashion sense, uptight personality and touching phobia. I liked how the author made her character professional yet racy at the same time; if Bacall’s patrons only knew what she has on underneath her drab attire! I loved her insistence on being treated like a man, and her ability to control the Mori made her someone not to be underestimated.
It’s hard to make a romance evolve from two strangers to happily-ever-after in one book, and have it be believable, but once again this author makes the feat look easy. I liked how Hadley and Lowe challenged each other on an intellectual level, and their opposing personalities made their dialogue incredibly entertaining to read. Bacall’s fear of touch has resulted in a practically non-existent sex life, so when she finally unleashes her inner goddess the result is explosive! Slow burn romance, infectious chemistry, and squelching romp sessions—Jenn Bennett really can do it all! Her writing always packs one heck of a punch, whether we’re talking action or passion, and a lot of the time the two go hand-in-hand anyway.
GRIM SHADOWS exceeded my expectations with more paranormal, more ROARING TWENTIES, and more romance; if I could live off Bennett’s books and the hot Magnusson brothers, I would. 5+ stars.
Let me just start this review by saying that Jenn Bennett can do no wrong! Her Urban Fantasy series is among my top 5 in its genre, and now she’s also landed a spot on my Paranormal Romance list with ROARING TWENTIES. The first installment introduced readers to bootlegging and speakeasies; now it’s GRIM SHADOWS’ turn to bring forgery and treasure hunting to life. Once again I loved absolutely everything about this book! Bennett’s writing immediately sucks you right in, and then her characters and universe keep you hooked until the very last page.
I loved how different this novel was compared to BITTER SPIRITS; the 1920′s feel remains at the forefront, and the story still revolves around the Magnusson family, but there were more paranormal elements in this installment and the plot focused on mystery rather than danger—although, there was a bit of the latter as well. I enjoyed experiencing the thrill of the hunt through both an archaeologist’s POV, and that of an academic; putting the pieces of the djed amulet puzzle together alongside the protagonists was exciting, and uncovering the real truth behind it all was even more thrilling. Then of course there are the supernatural goodies like the Mori, fire giant, AND griffin—yes folks, this book has it all!
At first, I thought there was no way that the younger Magnusson brother was going to be able to compete with Winter, but of course leave it to Bennett to make me feel like a hussy! Lowe’s a con man, a liar and a player so it’s easy to discount him; however he’s just so gosh darned charming with his sexy Swedish accent, way with words and handsome bod. It’s hard to believe a single thing that comes out of this man’s mouth, but he somehow manages to make deceit look hot. Hadley’s his polar opposite with her funeral-like fashion sense, uptight personality and touching phobia. I liked how the author made her character professional yet racy at the same time; if Bacall’s patrons only knew what she has on underneath her drab attire! I loved her insistence on being treated like a man, and her ability to control the Mori made her someone not to be underestimated.
It’s hard to make a romance evolve from two strangers to happily-ever-after in one book, and have it be believable, but once again this author makes the feat look easy. I liked how Hadley and Lowe challenged each other on an intellectual level, and their opposing personalities made their dialogue incredibly entertaining to read. Bacall’s fear of touch has resulted in a practically non-existent sex life, so when she finally unleashes her inner goddess the result is explosive! Slow burn romance, infectious chemistry, and squelching romp sessions—Jenn Bennett really can do it all! Her writing always packs one heck of a punch, whether we’re talking action or passion, and a lot of the time the two go hand-in-hand anyway.
GRIM SHADOWS exceeded my expectations with more paranormal, more ROARING TWENTIES, and more romance; if I could live off Bennett’s books and the hot Magnusson brothers, I would. 5+ stars.
September 18, 2019
Lowe Magnusson is a con-man, archaeologist, and Swedish Hottie who has managed to get his hands on an ancient Egyptian djed amulet. Hadley Bacall is a cursed museum curator with a damn fine ass who would very much like to acquire the amulet from Lowe. Their bickering turns into bantering turns into boning turns into ... b-emotions.
1. The ending of this thing is a whole mess, but first I'm going to talk about the things that I liked, of which there are a few.
2. I liked Haldey as a heroine. There's a sense of awkward aloofness to her that didn't seem to be resolved by her relationship to or with Lowe. I loved how she would bluntly face the misconceptions that would taint other romances; how she acknowledges things that need to be addressed and is brave about her own vulnerabilities. I liked the development of her decision to trust Lowe and her awareness of her growing connection and attachment to him. It was just really refreshing.
3. I also really liked Lowe as Hadley's hero. He's a smooth talker who hasn't really ever had to face up for some of his idiotic decisions, and his reckless dedication to "fixing" things was well done. I also liked his realizing Hadley was the woman for him, and how he comes to reorient his drivers with her as his center without tacit acknowledgement. When he realizes that he done fucked up, it's a true shattering as he sees all the plates he's been juggling fall around his ears.
(4. The ending remains ridiculous, however. I suppose it makes some sense somehow but I didn't find it fulfilling at all. It doesn't resolve the markers laid for us earlier in the narrative by the development of Lowe and Hadley's relationship, and feels like a rush job. Disappoint.)
5. Yes, the description of Lowe's "crop" of blond curls made me feel feelings okay? I AM ONLY ONE WOMAN.
6. The mystery element was engaging! I liked the puzzle solving and the Egyptology dovetailing with their flapper-ific lifestyle (FEDORAS! FURS! SAN FRAN!) and ongoing supernatural experiences (Mori specters! Bad vibes! Spells!). I was hella entertained!
1. The ending of this thing is a whole mess, but first I'm going to talk about the things that I liked, of which there are a few.
2. I liked Haldey as a heroine. There's a sense of awkward aloofness to her that didn't seem to be resolved by her relationship to or with Lowe. I loved how she would bluntly face the misconceptions that would taint other romances; how she acknowledges things that need to be addressed and is brave about her own vulnerabilities. I liked the development of her decision to trust Lowe and her awareness of her growing connection and attachment to him. It was just really refreshing.
3. I also really liked Lowe as Hadley's hero. He's a smooth talker who hasn't really ever had to face up for some of his idiotic decisions, and his reckless dedication to "fixing" things was well done. I also liked his realizing Hadley was the woman for him, and how he comes to reorient his drivers with her as his center without tacit acknowledgement. When he realizes that he done fucked up, it's a true shattering as he sees all the plates he's been juggling fall around his ears.
(4. The ending remains ridiculous, however. I suppose it makes some sense somehow but I didn't find it fulfilling at all. It doesn't resolve the markers laid for us earlier in the narrative by the development of Lowe and Hadley's relationship, and feels like a rush job. Disappoint.)
5. Yes, the description of Lowe's "crop" of blond curls made me feel feelings okay? I AM ONLY ONE WOMAN.
6. The mystery element was engaging! I liked the puzzle solving and the Egyptology dovetailing with their flapper-ific lifestyle (FEDORAS! FURS! SAN FRAN!) and ongoing supernatural experiences (Mori specters! Bad vibes! Spells!). I was hella entertained!
June 19, 2014
Loved Loved Loved this book!!!
The first book of The Roaring Twenties was brilliant, loved every page and I had high hopes that this book would follow suit, it was, in fact, even better!
Winter stole our hearts in book 1, in book 2, his younger brother Lowe takes on the role! Lowe returns from Egypt with an artifact he intends to forge and sell twice. Hadley meets Lowe at the train station to ensure her father gets to buy the artifact (for a very good reason), however, Lowe is already being sought after and not for the current artifact and Hadley houses a very deadly secret.
These two come together (from very different worlds) and end up searching for the remaining parts of the artifact and the book takes on a great adventure.
I absolutely love the way Jenn Bennett writes her books, easy to read, easy to 'see' her world through her words and very easy to become lost in the pages. I enjoyed the first book so much, I've read Arcadia Bell, book 1, while waiting for this book to be released! (loved that book too!)
I am now hungry for more!
The first book of The Roaring Twenties was brilliant, loved every page and I had high hopes that this book would follow suit, it was, in fact, even better!
Winter stole our hearts in book 1, in book 2, his younger brother Lowe takes on the role! Lowe returns from Egypt with an artifact he intends to forge and sell twice. Hadley meets Lowe at the train station to ensure her father gets to buy the artifact (for a very good reason), however, Lowe is already being sought after and not for the current artifact and Hadley houses a very deadly secret.
These two come together (from very different worlds) and end up searching for the remaining parts of the artifact and the book takes on a great adventure.
I absolutely love the way Jenn Bennett writes her books, easy to read, easy to 'see' her world through her words and very easy to become lost in the pages. I enjoyed the first book so much, I've read Arcadia Bell, book 1, while waiting for this book to be released! (loved that book too!)
I am now hungry for more!
May 12, 2018
Smooth-talking Archaeologist Lowe Magnusson returns home from Egypt with a priceless amulet that he found. His plan is to make a duplicate to sell to a local collector while using the real amulet to clear his debt. But Museum Curator Hadley Bacall has him re-thinking his plan. Hadley's mother once owned small pieces of the amulet. She hid them throughout San Francisco before she died. Now Lowe and Hadley must find the pieces to restore the amulet to its full power.
This is an action-packed story. Lowe's enemies are out to get him since he has passed off counterfeit artifacts in the past. They're trying to kill him and getting closer and closer with each day. Hadley grew up in the shadow of her father who really didn't pay attention to her. Now she works for him and wants his job as the head of the museum when he retires. She is cursed with deadly spirits who appear when she is upset. Hadley finds keeping her calm around Lowe is nearly impossible. My rating: 4 Stars.
This is an action-packed story. Lowe's enemies are out to get him since he has passed off counterfeit artifacts in the past. They're trying to kill him and getting closer and closer with each day. Hadley grew up in the shadow of her father who really didn't pay attention to her. Now she works for him and wants his job as the head of the museum when he retires. She is cursed with deadly spirits who appear when she is upset. Hadley finds keeping her calm around Lowe is nearly impossible. My rating: 4 Stars.
July 13, 2014
Grim Shadows
4 Stars
Lowe Magnusson is an unrepentant bad boy - a con artist, a thief and a notorious liar. That is until he meets the one woman who makes him want to be a better man. Hadley Bacall is a spirited and intelligent scholar, yet she yearns for the closeness of friendship and family that has long been denied her. When Lowe and Hadley come together in search of an ancient archeological artifact, sparks fly and windows shatter - literally...
Excellent historical research results in an immersive setting and a gripping storyline focused on Egyptian lore. Lowe and Hadley’s romance has great potential and the slow burn of their chemistry leads to some very steamy scenes. Nevertheless, it never quite manages to attain the heights of Winter and Aida’s love affair in Bitter Spirits.
Lowe’s characterization as a con artist with questionable morals makes it difficult to completely accept his heroic status and his growing feelings for Hadley. In turn, Hadley’s naiveté and loneliness make her seem gullible. Consequently, their relationship is not as believable as it should have been.
The true highlight of the book is the paranormal mystery surrounding the search for the djed amulet. The Da Vinci Code style treasure hunt is engrossing and it is fun following the clues with Hadley and Lowe. While the villain and his motivation are very interesting, the threat he poses never fully materializes and the climax and resolution are exciting, but not 100% satisfying.
In sum, Grim Shadows is an exceedingly well-researched and well-written paranormal romance with a gripping story and characters that ultimately grow on you. Looking forward to the third installment, which is Bo and Astrid’s story.
4 Stars
Lowe Magnusson is an unrepentant bad boy - a con artist, a thief and a notorious liar. That is until he meets the one woman who makes him want to be a better man. Hadley Bacall is a spirited and intelligent scholar, yet she yearns for the closeness of friendship and family that has long been denied her. When Lowe and Hadley come together in search of an ancient archeological artifact, sparks fly and windows shatter - literally...
Excellent historical research results in an immersive setting and a gripping storyline focused on Egyptian lore. Lowe and Hadley’s romance has great potential and the slow burn of their chemistry leads to some very steamy scenes. Nevertheless, it never quite manages to attain the heights of Winter and Aida’s love affair in Bitter Spirits.
Lowe’s characterization as a con artist with questionable morals makes it difficult to completely accept his heroic status and his growing feelings for Hadley. In turn, Hadley’s naiveté and loneliness make her seem gullible. Consequently, their relationship is not as believable as it should have been.
The true highlight of the book is the paranormal mystery surrounding the search for the djed amulet. The Da Vinci Code style treasure hunt is engrossing and it is fun following the clues with Hadley and Lowe. While the villain and his motivation are very interesting, the threat he poses never fully materializes and the climax and resolution are exciting, but not 100% satisfying.
In sum, Grim Shadows is an exceedingly well-researched and well-written paranormal romance with a gripping story and characters that ultimately grow on you. Looking forward to the third installment, which is Bo and Astrid’s story.
September 20, 2022
Grim Shadows was such a fun story and it was so great to get back to this series and this author. I just love books set in the roarin' twenties and it's so refreshing as it's really difficult to find books set in this era. I loved the whole setup with an archaeologist with a woman with mystical powers. There is an intense sense of danger, magic, and edgy thrills. I adored the way that we see this story being built and the focus on the romance was just right. I also enjoyed the way that this author developed this book and even though I didn't like the secret from the hero being drawn out as much as it was, it didn't bother me as much as it does in other books and I give all credit to the author on that. There is also a plus of having it being so gothic-like atmospheric, and I enjoyed the various factors that bring this story all together. The romance that develops is really wonderful, and I was on board with it all the way. I enjoyed how they work together to find the lost pieces of an artifact together and what secrets that become revealed in the ending was so fascinating. From beginning to end, this book kept me thrilled and drawn in. Definitely a solid installment and can't wait for the finale in the trilogy.
August 23, 2018
I’m a sucker for Jen’s words and I loved the first book in this series, so I was fairly certain I would love this one too.
I loved Hadley and Lowe. They’re both really good people and similar, but not really, and I absolutely adored the subtle flirting and button pushing. Of course, seeing Aida and Winter was delightful.
Plot wise, it was intriguing. I loved the Egyptian thread and all of the things that went along with the artifact. The conflict was just what I expected and thankfully didn’t last too long. And while the epilogue is usually my favorite {and this one was so satisfying}, it was the last bit of the last chapter I loved the most.
Overall, it was another fun part of this story and I can’t wait to read Astrid and Bo’s book.
I loved Hadley and Lowe. They’re both really good people and similar, but not really, and I absolutely adored the subtle flirting and button pushing. Of course, seeing Aida and Winter was delightful.
Plot wise, it was intriguing. I loved the Egyptian thread and all of the things that went along with the artifact. The conflict was just what I expected and thankfully didn’t last too long. And while the epilogue is usually my favorite {and this one was so satisfying}, it was the last bit of the last chapter I loved the most.
Overall, it was another fun part of this story and I can’t wait to read Astrid and Bo’s book.
March 5, 2015
San Francisco, les années 20, des artefacts égyptiens, une héroïne badass et intelligente, et un héros grand blond suédois archéologue et arnaqueur sur les bords, franchement, what's not to love?♥
Donc définitivement Lowe est bien mieux que son frère Winter (un peu trop gentil pour un bootlegger sans pitié) , et bien plus fun ^^
Je suis curieuse de lire le dernier sur Astrid (la petite soeur) et Bo (charmant bras droit chinois de Winter) (ça va chier) (enfin j'espère XD)
Donc définitivement Lowe est bien mieux que son frère Winter (un peu trop gentil pour un bootlegger sans pitié) , et bien plus fun ^^
Je suis curieuse de lire le dernier sur Astrid (la petite soeur) et Bo (charmant bras droit chinois de Winter) (ça va chier) (enfin j'espère XD)
dnf
September 15, 2015Oh who am I kidding? I'm not gonna finish this book. While the beginning was exciting enough, somewhere in the middle, when things started going too smoothly, I lost interest.
We were just not meant to be. Sorry book, it's not me, it's you.
DNF @ 72%.
We were just not meant to be. Sorry book, it's not me, it's you.
DNF @ 72%.
January 11, 2015
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Jenn Bennett can do no wrong in my eyes. If you like romance and engaging plots, and you haven't already picked up Bitter Spirits, the first book in her wonderfully original and addictive Roaring Twenty series, please do so immediately. It's set in a time and place that's familiar but also completely new: the vitality and the verve we've come to associate with the 1920s are alive and present, including characters with bold, charming personalities, but it's suffused with magic and the paranormal, creating a brilliant combination. You're left wondering why no one has thought of this before. I, for one, am very grateful that it's in the hands of Jenn Bennett. There's so much potential for this series, and she has used it to its utmost.
In Grim Shadows, we're taken on a fantastical treasure hunt through the streets of San Fransisco. When archeologist Lowe Magnusson (brother to Winter, our hero in the first book) uncovers a priceless Egyptian artifact, he is immediately courted by one of the city's wealthiest patrons. It turns out this couldn't come at a better time for Lowe. His is a criminally ambitious family: while Winter specializes in the art of bootlegging, Lowe prefers subterfuge and has made a side business out of conning. Unfortunately he has run into a bit of financial trouble since being caught in the act by one of his clients. Archibald Bacall promises Lowe a hefty paycheck if he agrees to sell the djed amulet and to find its missing components that have been hidden within the city. There's a personal and metaphysical reason Bacall desires the entire amulet, but Lowe doesn't discover what that is until he conspires with Bacall's uptight, alarmingly irresistible daughter, Hadley. The two work together to solve the clues and to find the missing pieces, all the while falling helplessly in love.
Doesn't that sound like fun? I thought so, too. The story is fast-paced and well-plotted, keeping me on my toes and daring me to discover which moves faster: my eyes across the page or my racing heart. Grim Shadows has the adventure of National Treasure and the burning passion of Moulin Rouge!. Jenn Bennett blends the romance and mystery seamlessly. What makes the action so exciting are the two characters involved. Lowe is a rogue and a scoundrel, and he'll be the first to admit it. He likes to make up stories when the truth is boring and has a bad habit of lying when the need arises. But oh is he charming. And dashing. And when he's not lying he certainly puts that mouth to good use. Despite his philosophy, he's a happy-go-lucky, glass-half-full type of guy. He takes the world as it comes. Hadley Bacall couldn't be more his opposite. She grew up without much affection and has created a sort of island for herself. She's aloof, slow to trust, hot and cold, irascible, and most of all doesn't like to be touched, by anybody. Hers is not a personality I usually connect with in a book, but it's clear that she is lonely and she does desire love. It's difficult for her because she wants to be treated as an equal in a man's world, and she has yet to find someone who will respect her in that way. Not to mention, she's been cursed with specters who respond to her bad moods. They wreck havoc whenever she gets upset or angry, which of course can turn deadly for those closest to her.
Lowe and Hadley's differences are, of course, the driving tension between them: can a woman with dark secrets, who is reticent and guarded, actually trust a consummate liar? There's a point in nearly every romance when the couple separates for whatever reason, and it's obvious how that's going to happen here. Despite that predictability, I love the way Lowe and Hadley's relationship develops. He doggedly pursues her, trying to wear down her defenses, while she slowly succumbs to his onslaught. It's entirely too much fun, especially considering the chemistry and tension that is like a bubble surrounding them. This is why an opposites-attract relationship works so well: they keep pressing each other's buttons, knowing where that sweet spot is, all the while playing a game of give and take. Eventually, the two learn that they fit together neatly; that, in this case, Lowe's need for storytelling and adventure is tempered by Hadley's practicality, that he doesn't have to lie to get what he wants, and that Hadley needs Lowe's easygoing, tactile personality to soften the walls of her heart. Throughout the book, there are little gestures Lowe performs in an effort to soothe Hadley's feelings, and it absolutely melted me. He lost his pinky finger while in Egypt, and he tells Hadley that he will hold her hand with his maimed one so she will know whenever he is telling the truth. He feeds her treats and sweets and then subtly touches her, that way she will get used to him. So adorable! Also, he says things like this:
S-a-woon! Jenn Bennett, keep these swoony guys coming!
Whereas Bitter Spirits is more of a ghost story mixed in with Chinese voodoo, Grim Shadows deals in Egyptian myth, other realms, and fantastical creatures. I love that it's her female characters who are the "cursed" ones, becoming their own but also finding help in the least likely of men. The next book will surely be another favorite, its couple having been developed over the course of the first two (one of my favorite romance tropes!). It's between Winter and Lowe's sister, Astrid, and Winter's driver and sidekick, Bo. They already have stolen my heart, so I can't wait for their book, and I'm especially looking forward to discovering what paranormal aspects will be mixed in.
Grim Shadows is yet another winner in the Jenn Bennett canon, but I didn't expect anything less. Smart, thrilling, and addictive, Roaring Twenties is a paranormal romance series you don't want to miss!
This review can also be found at Love at First Page.
Jenn Bennett can do no wrong in my eyes. If you like romance and engaging plots, and you haven't already picked up Bitter Spirits, the first book in her wonderfully original and addictive Roaring Twenty series, please do so immediately. It's set in a time and place that's familiar but also completely new: the vitality and the verve we've come to associate with the 1920s are alive and present, including characters with bold, charming personalities, but it's suffused with magic and the paranormal, creating a brilliant combination. You're left wondering why no one has thought of this before. I, for one, am very grateful that it's in the hands of Jenn Bennett. There's so much potential for this series, and she has used it to its utmost.
In Grim Shadows, we're taken on a fantastical treasure hunt through the streets of San Fransisco. When archeologist Lowe Magnusson (brother to Winter, our hero in the first book) uncovers a priceless Egyptian artifact, he is immediately courted by one of the city's wealthiest patrons. It turns out this couldn't come at a better time for Lowe. His is a criminally ambitious family: while Winter specializes in the art of bootlegging, Lowe prefers subterfuge and has made a side business out of conning. Unfortunately he has run into a bit of financial trouble since being caught in the act by one of his clients. Archibald Bacall promises Lowe a hefty paycheck if he agrees to sell the djed amulet and to find its missing components that have been hidden within the city. There's a personal and metaphysical reason Bacall desires the entire amulet, but Lowe doesn't discover what that is until he conspires with Bacall's uptight, alarmingly irresistible daughter, Hadley. The two work together to solve the clues and to find the missing pieces, all the while falling helplessly in love.
Doesn't that sound like fun? I thought so, too. The story is fast-paced and well-plotted, keeping me on my toes and daring me to discover which moves faster: my eyes across the page or my racing heart. Grim Shadows has the adventure of National Treasure and the burning passion of Moulin Rouge!. Jenn Bennett blends the romance and mystery seamlessly. What makes the action so exciting are the two characters involved. Lowe is a rogue and a scoundrel, and he'll be the first to admit it. He likes to make up stories when the truth is boring and has a bad habit of lying when the need arises. But oh is he charming. And dashing. And when he's not lying he certainly puts that mouth to good use. Despite his philosophy, he's a happy-go-lucky, glass-half-full type of guy. He takes the world as it comes. Hadley Bacall couldn't be more his opposite. She grew up without much affection and has created a sort of island for herself. She's aloof, slow to trust, hot and cold, irascible, and most of all doesn't like to be touched, by anybody. Hers is not a personality I usually connect with in a book, but it's clear that she is lonely and she does desire love. It's difficult for her because she wants to be treated as an equal in a man's world, and she has yet to find someone who will respect her in that way. Not to mention, she's been cursed with specters who respond to her bad moods. They wreck havoc whenever she gets upset or angry, which of course can turn deadly for those closest to her.
Lowe and Hadley's differences are, of course, the driving tension between them: can a woman with dark secrets, who is reticent and guarded, actually trust a consummate liar? There's a point in nearly every romance when the couple separates for whatever reason, and it's obvious how that's going to happen here. Despite that predictability, I love the way Lowe and Hadley's relationship develops. He doggedly pursues her, trying to wear down her defenses, while she slowly succumbs to his onslaught. It's entirely too much fun, especially considering the chemistry and tension that is like a bubble surrounding them. This is why an opposites-attract relationship works so well: they keep pressing each other's buttons, knowing where that sweet spot is, all the while playing a game of give and take. Eventually, the two learn that they fit together neatly; that, in this case, Lowe's need for storytelling and adventure is tempered by Hadley's practicality, that he doesn't have to lie to get what he wants, and that Hadley needs Lowe's easygoing, tactile personality to soften the walls of her heart. Throughout the book, there are little gestures Lowe performs in an effort to soothe Hadley's feelings, and it absolutely melted me. He lost his pinky finger while in Egypt, and he tells Hadley that he will hold her hand with his maimed one so she will know whenever he is telling the truth. He feeds her treats and sweets and then subtly touches her, that way she will get used to him. So adorable! Also, he says things like this:
"Seems lately I've spent most of my days with you, and I've spent most of my nights thinking about the days."
S-a-woon! Jenn Bennett, keep these swoony guys coming!
Whereas Bitter Spirits is more of a ghost story mixed in with Chinese voodoo, Grim Shadows deals in Egyptian myth, other realms, and fantastical creatures. I love that it's her female characters who are the "cursed" ones, becoming their own but also finding help in the least likely of men. The next book will surely be another favorite, its couple having been developed over the course of the first two (one of my favorite romance tropes!). It's between Winter and Lowe's sister, Astrid, and Winter's driver and sidekick, Bo. They already have stolen my heart, so I can't wait for their book, and I'm especially looking forward to discovering what paranormal aspects will be mixed in.
Grim Shadows is yet another winner in the Jenn Bennett canon, but I didn't expect anything less. Smart, thrilling, and addictive, Roaring Twenties is a paranormal romance series you don't want to miss!
This review can also be found at Love at First Page.
October 21, 2017
J’ai été agréablement surprise. C’est une bonne suite.
J’ai trouvé les personnages principaux vivants et passionnants. Ils forment un superbe duo pour résoudre les mythes, malédictions égyptiennes et recel d’objet antique notamment l’énigme laissée par la mère de l’héroïne. Le côté Egypte antique est bien traité et ne saoule pas. Les personnages secondaires sont vivants et attachants ; on s’attache à la petite Stella. L’auteur a su me donner envie de tourner les pages.
L’histoire est bien ficelée et écrite. J’ai beaucoup aimé, je l’ai presque lu d’une traite.
Il donne envie de lire le prochain tome.
J’ai trouvé les personnages principaux vivants et passionnants. Ils forment un superbe duo pour résoudre les mythes, malédictions égyptiennes et recel d’objet antique notamment l’énigme laissée par la mère de l’héroïne. Le côté Egypte antique est bien traité et ne saoule pas. Les personnages secondaires sont vivants et attachants ; on s’attache à la petite Stella. L’auteur a su me donner envie de tourner les pages.
L’histoire est bien ficelée et écrite. J’ai beaucoup aimé, je l’ai presque lu d’une traite.
Il donne envie de lire le prochain tome.
June 3, 2015
*Genre* Historical, Paranormal, Romance
*Rating* 3.5
*My Thoughts*
Grim Shadows is the second novel in the Roaring Twenties series. The setting is 1928 San Francisco where Prohibition is still in full swing. Grim Shadows features curator Hadley Bacall and archaeologist Lowe Magnusson (Winter’s brother from Bitter Spirits). Since this is Jenn Bennett, there is the anti-hero in Lowe, and the heroine in Hadley, and some steamy sex scenes that I am sure will be warm even the coldest hearts.
*Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews 06/03/2015*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Published*: June 3rd 2014 by Berkley Sensation
*Rating* 3.5
*My Thoughts*
Grim Shadows is the second novel in the Roaring Twenties series. The setting is 1928 San Francisco where Prohibition is still in full swing. Grim Shadows features curator Hadley Bacall and archaeologist Lowe Magnusson (Winter’s brother from Bitter Spirits). Since this is Jenn Bennett, there is the anti-hero in Lowe, and the heroine in Hadley, and some steamy sex scenes that I am sure will be warm even the coldest hearts.
*Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews 06/03/2015*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Published*: June 3rd 2014 by Berkley Sensation
November 19, 2017
Je ne dois pas être dans le « mood » pour ce livre parce que si objectivement il avait tout pour être enthousiasmant, subjectivement il m’a laissé de glace 🤐 Il m’a fait le même effet qu’Indiana Jones et le temple maudit ... Tout est là pour passer un bon moment mais j’ai pris les héros en grippe.. surtout elle dés le départ.
April 24, 2024
Exciting, sensual, historical, paranormal, romantic-suspense novel
Lowe Magnusson is a 6'6", muscular, charismatic, 25-year-old, Swedish-American hunk of masculine perfection, who is both a legitimate archaeologist and an unrepentantly talented con man. An unspecified number of times in the past, he has colluded with a childhood friend, who is a brilliant forger, creating replicas of real artifacts he has unearthed during archaeological digs in Egypt. This setup has allowed him to sell an irreplaceable work of ancient art to two rich collectors rather than just one, for double the haul. Currently, the artifact he is planning to pull the same stunt with is a mystical, ancient, Egyptian amulet. Unfortunately, he inconveniently falls head over heels in obsessive lust with the daughter of the man he intends to cheat, the head of a prestigious San Francisco museum, where the lady in question is her father's second in command and future successor.
Hadley Bacall is a 5'10", shapely, gorgeous, up-tight museum curator, who has been cursed from birth with deadly Egyptian Spirits of the Dead. At any time she becomes frightened or enraged, these powerful emotions summon the specters, who immediately attack anyone who seems to be threatening her safety. She has had to train herself to keep calm in the middle of highly stressful situations, in order to prevent her malignant guardians from literally killing people.
This story an excellent example of an "opposites attract" romance. One of my favorite things about this novel is the hilarious, snappy repartee between Lowe and Hadley, which naturally arises from their very different personalities and approaches to ethical considerations. I also really liked the fact that an extremely tall MMC is paired with an FMC who is also quite tall, rather than the all too frequent situation of a very big man with a tiny woman (which is actually the case with both Book 1 and Book 3 of this trilogy).
I don't typically enjoy a romance MMC who has extremely dubious ethics, almost to the point of being an anti-hero, which is the case with Lowe in this novel. But Jenn Bennett is a very talented romance author, and she pulls it off, mainly because Lowe has a very strong growth arc across the course of the novel.
There is just as much action in this thrill-packed second entry in the terrific, Roaring Twenties trilogy as there is in the first book. And like the first book (and the third) in the series, there is lots of hot sex. This particular novel veers into a sexcapades area that doesn't particularly interest me, semi-public sex. I always skip over scenes like that, as I don't enjoy exhibitionistic risk-taking of that nature.
This is my second reading of this novel, and this time around, I listened to the audiobook version, which is available for free through Hoopla. There is a single, female narrator, Amy Landon, who does an excellent job.
Lowe Magnusson is a 6'6", muscular, charismatic, 25-year-old, Swedish-American hunk of masculine perfection, who is both a legitimate archaeologist and an unrepentantly talented con man. An unspecified number of times in the past, he has colluded with a childhood friend, who is a brilliant forger, creating replicas of real artifacts he has unearthed during archaeological digs in Egypt. This setup has allowed him to sell an irreplaceable work of ancient art to two rich collectors rather than just one, for double the haul. Currently, the artifact he is planning to pull the same stunt with is a mystical, ancient, Egyptian amulet. Unfortunately, he inconveniently falls head over heels in obsessive lust with the daughter of the man he intends to cheat, the head of a prestigious San Francisco museum, where the lady in question is her father's second in command and future successor.
Hadley Bacall is a 5'10", shapely, gorgeous, up-tight museum curator, who has been cursed from birth with deadly Egyptian Spirits of the Dead. At any time she becomes frightened or enraged, these powerful emotions summon the specters, who immediately attack anyone who seems to be threatening her safety. She has had to train herself to keep calm in the middle of highly stressful situations, in order to prevent her malignant guardians from literally killing people.
This story an excellent example of an "opposites attract" romance. One of my favorite things about this novel is the hilarious, snappy repartee between Lowe and Hadley, which naturally arises from their very different personalities and approaches to ethical considerations. I also really liked the fact that an extremely tall MMC is paired with an FMC who is also quite tall, rather than the all too frequent situation of a very big man with a tiny woman (which is actually the case with both Book 1 and Book 3 of this trilogy).
I don't typically enjoy a romance MMC who has extremely dubious ethics, almost to the point of being an anti-hero, which is the case with Lowe in this novel. But Jenn Bennett is a very talented romance author, and she pulls it off, mainly because Lowe has a very strong growth arc across the course of the novel.
There is just as much action in this thrill-packed second entry in the terrific, Roaring Twenties trilogy as there is in the first book. And like the first book (and the third) in the series, there is lots of hot sex. This particular novel veers into a sexcapades area that doesn't particularly interest me, semi-public sex. I always skip over scenes like that, as I don't enjoy exhibitionistic risk-taking of that nature.
This is my second reading of this novel, and this time around, I listened to the audiobook version, which is available for free through Hoopla. There is a single, female narrator, Amy Landon, who does an excellent job.
November 16, 2017
Alors que j'avais trouvé la fin du 1er tome un peu faible par rapport au début, ce 2ème c'est le contraire. C'est le début que j'ai trouvé bancal, voir même incompréhensible. Je n'ai même rien compris.
Le démarrage est abrupt, on rentre dans une scène qui est déjà bien entamée et dont il nous manque tous les éléments. Résultats on prend le train en marche (c'est le cas de le dire étant donné que la scène se passe effectivement dans une gare). Je pense que c'est voulu par l'auteur, puisque les explications arrivent petit à petit et tout est en place lors de la réception où Monsieur Bacall annonce sa retraite. C'est d'ailleurs également le démarrage de la chasse aux artéfacts.
Avec le recul je comprends l'effet de style, mais du coup sur le moment j'ai vraiment eu du mal à rentrer dedans, alors que je sortais du 1 où j'avais accroché tout de suite. Surtout à l'alchimie du couple Winter/Aida au détriment de l'intrigue. Cette fois c'est le contraire, j'ai bien aimé le couple, moins parfait que le 1er, plus roublard, plus noirs dans leurs fêlures. Lowe est un gentil vaurien, un mix entre Han Solo et Rick O'Connell. J'adore lulu, j'adore son look (ses bottes, sa veste en cuir), j'ai bien aimé qu'à la différence de Winter il ait finalement plus de failles, qu'il ne soit pas parfait et qu'il reconnaisse ses erreurs. Il veut bien faire même s'il s'y prend mal. Hadley a un abord très froid au début qui la rend antipathique, C'est juste une carapace. Mais ça passe très vite et j'ai trouvé qu'elle évoluait bien malgré tout ce qui lui tombe sur la tête et avec son passif qui l'handicape. Elle est intelligente et courageuse. Ils forment un joli couple qui s'équilibrent très bien. Malgré une absence de la famille de Lowe qui est bien dommage, j'ai bien aimé encore une fois le travail sur les personnages secondaires : Simon et sa fille, numéro 4, Tilly la secrétaire et finalement le père d'Hadley.
Jenn Bennett encore un fois nous décrit très bien les décors, les costumes, le moindre petit détail qui renforce l'ambiance et l'époque. Et cerise sur le gâteau le contexte de la chasse à l'artefact archéologique, j'ai adoré. J'ai donc mis la même note que pour le 1. Le 1 pour le couple et le 2 pour l'intrigue et le côté aventure et toutes les références à l'Egypte. Vivement le 3 qui j'espère ne me décevra pas, Astrid a l'air d'une sacré tête à claque d'enfant gâtée, mais Bo a d’ore et déjà ma faveur.
Le démarrage est abrupt, on rentre dans une scène qui est déjà bien entamée et dont il nous manque tous les éléments. Résultats on prend le train en marche (c'est le cas de le dire étant donné que la scène se passe effectivement dans une gare). Je pense que c'est voulu par l'auteur, puisque les explications arrivent petit à petit et tout est en place lors de la réception où Monsieur Bacall annonce sa retraite. C'est d'ailleurs également le démarrage de la chasse aux artéfacts.
Avec le recul je comprends l'effet de style, mais du coup sur le moment j'ai vraiment eu du mal à rentrer dedans, alors que je sortais du 1 où j'avais accroché tout de suite. Surtout à l'alchimie du couple Winter/Aida au détriment de l'intrigue. Cette fois c'est le contraire, j'ai bien aimé le couple, moins parfait que le 1er, plus roublard, plus noirs dans leurs fêlures. Lowe est un gentil vaurien, un mix entre Han Solo et Rick O'Connell. J'adore lulu, j'adore son look (ses bottes, sa veste en cuir), j'ai bien aimé qu'à la différence de Winter il ait finalement plus de failles, qu'il ne soit pas parfait et qu'il reconnaisse ses erreurs. Il veut bien faire même s'il s'y prend mal. Hadley a un abord très froid au début qui la rend antipathique, C'est juste une carapace. Mais ça passe très vite et j'ai trouvé qu'elle évoluait bien malgré tout ce qui lui tombe sur la tête et avec son passif qui l'handicape. Elle est intelligente et courageuse. Ils forment un joli couple qui s'équilibrent très bien. Malgré une absence de la famille de Lowe qui est bien dommage, j'ai bien aimé encore une fois le travail sur les personnages secondaires : Simon et sa fille, numéro 4, Tilly la secrétaire et finalement le père d'Hadley.
Jenn Bennett encore un fois nous décrit très bien les décors, les costumes, le moindre petit détail qui renforce l'ambiance et l'époque. Et cerise sur le gâteau le contexte de la chasse à l'artefact archéologique, j'ai adoré. J'ai donc mis la même note que pour le 1. Le 1 pour le couple et le 2 pour l'intrigue et le côté aventure et toutes les références à l'Egypte. Vivement le 3 qui j'espère ne me décevra pas, Astrid a l'air d'une sacré tête à claque d'enfant gâtée, mais Bo a d’ore et déjà ma faveur.
November 12, 2014
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: A con man and his mark team up to find the pieces of an ancient amulet. As his feelings for her grow stronger, this con man’s life starts becoming increasingly complicated. Will he carry through with his plan, or will he let love win out?
Opening Sentence: Lowe Magnusson scanned the desolate Union Pacific depot lobby.
The Review:
I had mixed feelings before starting this book. On one hand, I love Jenn Bennett’s Arcadia Bell series. On the other, the first book in this series fell slightly short of my expectations. Thankfully, this second book in the series fell more in line with what I love about the Arcadia Bell series, combining great characters with an interesting, fast paced plot and a very satisfying love story.
Lowe Magnusson has made a living as a con man, uncovering priceless artifacts and then making forgeries of them. He has recently found an infamous amulet at the perfect time, as he is desperately in need of money. His search for a buyer brings him in contact with Hadley, the daughter of a museum curator interested in buying the amulet. When Lowe meets with Hadley’s father, he is told that he’ll be paid extra if the additional pieces of the amulet can be found. These pieces used to be in Hadley’s father’s possession, but Hadley’s mother hid them when they became the cause of a rift between Hadley’s father and his business partner. Now, Hadley and Lowe must team up to find the additional pieces. Someone else is interested in obtaining the complete amulet though, and they have no qualms about killing in order to obtain them. Will Lowe and Hadley be able to find the rest of the amulet first?
Lowe and Hadley are perfect together. Their attraction is evident the very first time they meet, and the sexual tension builds up very nicely. There’s no quick hook up here, which is something I loved about this book. I love getting to watch a relationship develop throughout a book, and it’s done beautifully here. The reader gets a chance to truly connect to both Lowe and Hadley before their relationship is consummated.
On the subject of connecting to the characters, it was very easy for me to connect to both Lowe and Hadley. Their personalities come through so clearly; they seem like real people. There were many times I found myself chuckling as I read because the way Hadley thinks to herself just seemed so true to life, and very similar to how I tend to think to myself. While I may not have found similarities between myself and Lowe, I still found it extremely easy to connect to him as a character. He’s extremely charming (as con men tend to be), and it comes through very clearly throughout the book. They’re both just such great characters. It truly was a joy to spend time with them.
One of my problems with the first book in this series was that it took a long time for it to capture my interest. This is definitely not the case here. The story starts off with a bang, and it honestly never lets up. With a six-week-old baby at home, it takes a very special book to make me want to stay up and read when I could be sleeping, and yet, this book achieved that. There’s really no bigger praise I can give. My reaction to this book has me extremely excited to read the next installment. It should be a fun ride!
Notable Scene:
The barest of flushes colored her cheeks, but she didn’t look up from her task. “Are you here to make my life miserable?”
“I’m here to empty your father’s bank account. Making you miserable is a bonus.”
“I do believe that’s the first honest thing you’ve ever told me.”
“Don’t let it go to your head.”
“The only thing in my head right now is that cock,” she said, nodding toward the wall.
Lowe paused. “Pardon?”
“I’m in a hurry.”
Another pause. Lowe looked where she’d gestured. “You mean…the clock?”
“That’s what I said.” But it wasn’t, and her gaze flicked to his crotch – so fast he almost wasn’t sure he saw it until a furious strawberry blush spilled over her cheeks and neck.
“Th-that’s what I meant,” she stuttered, then whispered to herself, “Oh, God.”
Well, well, well. When was the last time he’d heard that from a woman’s mouth? Had he ever? Hadley Bacall, overflowing with desire for…clock.
FTC Advisory: Berkley/Penguin provided me with a copy of Grim Shadows. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: A con man and his mark team up to find the pieces of an ancient amulet. As his feelings for her grow stronger, this con man’s life starts becoming increasingly complicated. Will he carry through with his plan, or will he let love win out?
Opening Sentence: Lowe Magnusson scanned the desolate Union Pacific depot lobby.
The Review:
I had mixed feelings before starting this book. On one hand, I love Jenn Bennett’s Arcadia Bell series. On the other, the first book in this series fell slightly short of my expectations. Thankfully, this second book in the series fell more in line with what I love about the Arcadia Bell series, combining great characters with an interesting, fast paced plot and a very satisfying love story.
Lowe Magnusson has made a living as a con man, uncovering priceless artifacts and then making forgeries of them. He has recently found an infamous amulet at the perfect time, as he is desperately in need of money. His search for a buyer brings him in contact with Hadley, the daughter of a museum curator interested in buying the amulet. When Lowe meets with Hadley’s father, he is told that he’ll be paid extra if the additional pieces of the amulet can be found. These pieces used to be in Hadley’s father’s possession, but Hadley’s mother hid them when they became the cause of a rift between Hadley’s father and his business partner. Now, Hadley and Lowe must team up to find the additional pieces. Someone else is interested in obtaining the complete amulet though, and they have no qualms about killing in order to obtain them. Will Lowe and Hadley be able to find the rest of the amulet first?
Lowe and Hadley are perfect together. Their attraction is evident the very first time they meet, and the sexual tension builds up very nicely. There’s no quick hook up here, which is something I loved about this book. I love getting to watch a relationship develop throughout a book, and it’s done beautifully here. The reader gets a chance to truly connect to both Lowe and Hadley before their relationship is consummated.
On the subject of connecting to the characters, it was very easy for me to connect to both Lowe and Hadley. Their personalities come through so clearly; they seem like real people. There were many times I found myself chuckling as I read because the way Hadley thinks to herself just seemed so true to life, and very similar to how I tend to think to myself. While I may not have found similarities between myself and Lowe, I still found it extremely easy to connect to him as a character. He’s extremely charming (as con men tend to be), and it comes through very clearly throughout the book. They’re both just such great characters. It truly was a joy to spend time with them.
One of my problems with the first book in this series was that it took a long time for it to capture my interest. This is definitely not the case here. The story starts off with a bang, and it honestly never lets up. With a six-week-old baby at home, it takes a very special book to make me want to stay up and read when I could be sleeping, and yet, this book achieved that. There’s really no bigger praise I can give. My reaction to this book has me extremely excited to read the next installment. It should be a fun ride!
Notable Scene:
The barest of flushes colored her cheeks, but she didn’t look up from her task. “Are you here to make my life miserable?”
“I’m here to empty your father’s bank account. Making you miserable is a bonus.”
“I do believe that’s the first honest thing you’ve ever told me.”
“Don’t let it go to your head.”
“The only thing in my head right now is that cock,” she said, nodding toward the wall.
Lowe paused. “Pardon?”
“I’m in a hurry.”
Another pause. Lowe looked where she’d gestured. “You mean…the clock?”
“That’s what I said.” But it wasn’t, and her gaze flicked to his crotch – so fast he almost wasn’t sure he saw it until a furious strawberry blush spilled over her cheeks and neck.
“Th-that’s what I meant,” she stuttered, then whispered to herself, “Oh, God.”
Well, well, well. When was the last time he’d heard that from a woman’s mouth? Had he ever? Hadley Bacall, overflowing with desire for…clock.
FTC Advisory: Berkley/Penguin provided me with a copy of Grim Shadows. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
June 11, 2014
More like a 2.5. I think I'm in the minority here, but there's something about this series that I just find rather bland.
I feel like I am missing something with Jenn Bennett's prohibition era series. Everyone seems to love it, but for me, I could take it or leave it. The series has an interesting concept, but as with the previous book, I'm left feeling ambivalent.
Grim Shadows features the younger brother of the hero from book one. Lowe Magnusson is an archaeologist who's determined to make a name for himself outside of his brother, Winter's, bootlegging operation. It's not because he's opposed to the criminal way of life, Lowe's a con artist himself; what he wants is independence. How selling forgeries of ancient antiquities accomplishes that goal, I'm not sure, but to each his own.
Lowe meets curator, Hadley Bacall, after he acquires an ancient artifact that her father wants. Lowe's willing to make a deal, but of course he's also planning on swindling the Bacall's at the same time. What he doesn't count of is the true power of the artifact or his own reaction to the seemingly cool curator. How can he give Hadley a forgery when he's falling in love with her?
There were elements of Grim Shadows that I liked. The romance had a lot of promise. I liked the fact that Hadley was such a hesitant young woman. Part of it was because of her "curse", but part of it was just her personality. At first, Hadley seems like such as sad and lonely creature, but when she meets Lowe she finally starts to open up and get more comfortable in her own skin. I liked this aspect of the story. Not every heroine needs to be super confident and it was appreciated that Hadley was not always sure of herself. For me, Hadley was, by far, the more interesting character. I was always wondering why she was the way she was; I was always interested in her thought processes. As for Lowe, I just wasn't as interested.
While the plot was interesting, generally I'm reading a book for the characters and their interactions, and there was just something keeping me back from really enjoying Grim Shadows. The romance was almost there, but in the end, I just felt "meh" about the relationship between Lowe and Hadley. I think part of it is also the fact that Lowe, and his brother from Bitter Spirits, are both essentially criminals. For whatever reason, this bugs me. It irked me in book one, and I irked me in Grim Shadows. Sometimes these criminal character works in books, and in Grim Shadows and Bitter Spirits, it just didn't, at least for me. The world is interesting, it's the characters that make me disinterested.
Review on my blog.
I feel like I am missing something with Jenn Bennett's prohibition era series. Everyone seems to love it, but for me, I could take it or leave it. The series has an interesting concept, but as with the previous book, I'm left feeling ambivalent.
Grim Shadows features the younger brother of the hero from book one. Lowe Magnusson is an archaeologist who's determined to make a name for himself outside of his brother, Winter's, bootlegging operation. It's not because he's opposed to the criminal way of life, Lowe's a con artist himself; what he wants is independence. How selling forgeries of ancient antiquities accomplishes that goal, I'm not sure, but to each his own.
Lowe meets curator, Hadley Bacall, after he acquires an ancient artifact that her father wants. Lowe's willing to make a deal, but of course he's also planning on swindling the Bacall's at the same time. What he doesn't count of is the true power of the artifact or his own reaction to the seemingly cool curator. How can he give Hadley a forgery when he's falling in love with her?
There were elements of Grim Shadows that I liked. The romance had a lot of promise. I liked the fact that Hadley was such a hesitant young woman. Part of it was because of her "curse", but part of it was just her personality. At first, Hadley seems like such as sad and lonely creature, but when she meets Lowe she finally starts to open up and get more comfortable in her own skin. I liked this aspect of the story. Not every heroine needs to be super confident and it was appreciated that Hadley was not always sure of herself. For me, Hadley was, by far, the more interesting character. I was always wondering why she was the way she was; I was always interested in her thought processes. As for Lowe, I just wasn't as interested.
While the plot was interesting, generally I'm reading a book for the characters and their interactions, and there was just something keeping me back from really enjoying Grim Shadows. The romance was almost there, but in the end, I just felt "meh" about the relationship between Lowe and Hadley. I think part of it is also the fact that Lowe, and his brother from Bitter Spirits, are both essentially criminals. For whatever reason, this bugs me. It irked me in book one, and I irked me in Grim Shadows. Sometimes these criminal character works in books, and in Grim Shadows and Bitter Spirits, it just didn't, at least for me. The world is interesting, it's the characters that make me disinterested.
Review on my blog.
August 7, 2021
GRIM SHADOWS is an engaging adventure through a 1920's San Francisco and it was a lot of fun to read. I always enjoy the stories Jenn Bennett creates as she weaves together magic, Egyptian mythology, action, and romance. In a lot of ways, this reminds me of the movie THE MUMMY and since that's one of my favorite movies, that's the highest of compliments. What truly makes this story are Lowe and Hadley whose personalities just leap off the page. The romance in GRIM SHADOWS is electric and Hadley and Lowe had so much chemistry.
A handsome man with a silver tongue, Lowe is no stranger to getting into trouble but he always finds a way to talk himself out of any problem. Lowe rides that perfect line between charming and overly cocky and he was a really enjoyable hero. I loved all the cover stories he created but also how he shows Hadley that between them, he'll be honest. Settling down was never something he considered, but Lowe was a natural romantic when it came to Hadley, not to mention deeply loyal and caring of his family.
Cursed since she was a young child, Hadley has kept everyone at a distance and works hard to control her emotions or risk letting the dark specters that haunt her free to hurt others. At first Hadley wants nothing to do with the charming Lowe but she begins to see the good man underneath. I really loved Hadley's character and how strong she is in the face of everything against her. She's smart, resourceful, and though she tries to hide it, incredibly passionate.
While these two started out as oil and water, they quickly learn to work together and begin to provide a safe and welcoming space for the other. Lowe and Hadley's personalities and upbringing might be different but each of them yearns for adventure and mystery and this makes them a perfect match.
A handsome man with a silver tongue, Lowe is no stranger to getting into trouble but he always finds a way to talk himself out of any problem. Lowe rides that perfect line between charming and overly cocky and he was a really enjoyable hero. I loved all the cover stories he created but also how he shows Hadley that between them, he'll be honest. Settling down was never something he considered, but Lowe was a natural romantic when it came to Hadley, not to mention deeply loyal and caring of his family.
Cursed since she was a young child, Hadley has kept everyone at a distance and works hard to control her emotions or risk letting the dark specters that haunt her free to hurt others. At first Hadley wants nothing to do with the charming Lowe but she begins to see the good man underneath. I really loved Hadley's character and how strong she is in the face of everything against her. She's smart, resourceful, and though she tries to hide it, incredibly passionate.
While these two started out as oil and water, they quickly learn to work together and begin to provide a safe and welcoming space for the other. Lowe and Hadley's personalities and upbringing might be different but each of them yearns for adventure and mystery and this makes them a perfect match.
November 7, 2015
Loved! But that scene near the end was super sad!! :(
Review to come!
Review to come!
December 6, 2018
I am really, really, really enjoying this series. It's such a fantastic combination of action and romance with some paranormal touches and a bit of history. I have grown to expect a great hero and a fantastic heroine from Bennett, and Lowe and Hadley more than met those standards. They were a fabulous couple! I loved their banter and they had many hot interactions. One thing I loved, was the way Lowe seemed so alpha, but then he handled Hadley in a gentle way. I always love those bad boys with a heart of gold, and Lowe + a little girl had my heart melting. Throughly enjoying this series!
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
October 17, 2016
So like. What to think of a woman whose anger literally summons dark spirits who wreak havoc?
Like on the one hand, her anger is powerful and you'd better not piss her off because she could ACTUALLY kill you. But on the other hand, this means she spends most of the book feeling guilty for and/or trying to suppress her anger, and women should be allowed to get angry! So I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Ultimately, though, I liked this book a lot. The romance was delightful and steamy and full of flirty banter, and while it was a fairly standard romance plot, it was kept interesting by Hadley's fear of being directly touched, and Lowe's attempts to overcome that fear without violating her boundaries. (Not sure I buy that you can "re-train" someone out of a phobia with mints and pie, but w/e.) The scene where Lowe touches Hadley, but only through her clothes, was super hot.
I picked this up because I was going to San Francisco, where this book is set, and I thought it'd be fun to read it on my trip. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it, and I'll definitely be picking up the others in this series.
Like on the one hand, her anger is powerful and you'd better not piss her off because she could ACTUALLY kill you. But on the other hand, this means she spends most of the book feeling guilty for and/or trying to suppress her anger, and women should be allowed to get angry! So I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Ultimately, though, I liked this book a lot. The romance was delightful and steamy and full of flirty banter, and while it was a fairly standard romance plot, it was kept interesting by Hadley's fear of being directly touched, and Lowe's attempts to overcome that fear without violating her boundaries. (Not sure I buy that you can "re-train" someone out of a phobia with mints and pie, but w/e.) The scene where Lowe touches Hadley, but only through her clothes, was super hot.
I picked this up because I was going to San Francisco, where this book is set, and I thought it'd be fun to read it on my trip. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it, and I'll definitely be picking up the others in this series.
June 4, 2014
I recently read Bitter Spirits, the first book in this series and was seriously impressed. I had put it off because it was set in the twenties and had paranormal elements and for whatever reason that didn’t appeal to me. But after seeing so many positive reviews, I read it and loved it and was exited to pick up Grim Shadows. I liked this book, not quite as much as Bitter Spirits though.
Lowe Magnusson (Winter’s brother from Bitter Spirits) is an Archaeologist who has spent the past nine months in Egypt. He discovered and smuggled out an amulet that many have been searching for. Hoping to sell it to the highest bidder to pay off some serious debt he has, Lowe keeps the amulet on his body as he travels back home to San Francisco. Already having a buyer lined up back home, he agrees to meet the buyer’s daughter at a train station during his trip, so she can verify he has it.
Hadley Bacall is a curator who desperately wants her father’s job as museum director when he retires. She meets Lowe during his journey home and indeed verifies that the amulet he is carrying is the real deal. Hadley can sense certain objects and can feel the power radiating from the amulet. But this is not the only supernatural thing that she carries. When she gets angry and her emotions get out of control, specters come out of the ground and attack whatever thing or person her anger is directed toward. So when Lowe and Hadley meet with some thugs who have been following Lowe and they start to do them harm, the specters come out (no one else can see them but Hadley) and suitcases on the train start flying everywhere.
Needless to say, Lowe and Hadley don’t get along very well when they first meet, but they are thrust together back in San Franciso when they realize they can mutually help each other. Hadely wants her father’s position, which has been promised to Lowe, and Lowe needs to find four crossbars that belong with the amulet to get his full payment. Hadley’s dead mother has hidden these crossbars and Hadley promises to help search for them if Lowe can convince her father to give her his position.
Lowe and Hadley’s relationship is really cute when they first meet. Cute because Hadley does not trust Lowe and Lowe can’t stop staring at her butt. He is a charmer, a scoundrel, and so very, very sexy – and he knows it. He knows his smile and easy lies off his tongue can get him out of most situations. Hadley is more serious and a bit cold, and Lowe’s charms don’t always work on her. So of course, Lowe then just wants to pursue her more because she is a challenge.
While at times I think the action and adventure in this book overshadows the romance, the action and adventure are still fun. We get a grand treasure map type story with lots of supernatural things and creatures to keep it exciting. It’s much more paranormal than the first book in my opinion.
Besides starting to trust Lowe, Hadley has issues with being touched that they have to overcome before their physical relationship can take that next step. She is quite open about not being touched and why she has this issue, so Lowe proceeds with caution.
By all accounts I liked this book but I still feel like there is a ‘but’ I need to talk about. When I finished I sat for a few minutes not 100% satisfied. There is one particular event towards the end that upset me a lot. I felt it was an unecessary death that just made me overall sad. Lowe is a swindler – he has replicas of things he has discovered made so he can sell the items more than once. I like that he has this flaw (among other things) yet I think I needed Hadley to come to terms with this more. She gets upset by it, yet I think she only comes around because she feels sorry for Lowe for something else that happens in this book. I guess I just needed a little more time at the end to believe Lowe and Hadley are compatible with each other and that she fully accepts Lowe.
All that being said, I love this author’s voice and the style of her books. They are fun, funny, action-packed with great sexual tension. Really well done world and characters. Can’t wait for Bo (oh I love me some Bo) and Astrid’s book next year!!
Rating: B
Lowe Magnusson (Winter’s brother from Bitter Spirits) is an Archaeologist who has spent the past nine months in Egypt. He discovered and smuggled out an amulet that many have been searching for. Hoping to sell it to the highest bidder to pay off some serious debt he has, Lowe keeps the amulet on his body as he travels back home to San Francisco. Already having a buyer lined up back home, he agrees to meet the buyer’s daughter at a train station during his trip, so she can verify he has it.
Hadley Bacall is a curator who desperately wants her father’s job as museum director when he retires. She meets Lowe during his journey home and indeed verifies that the amulet he is carrying is the real deal. Hadley can sense certain objects and can feel the power radiating from the amulet. But this is not the only supernatural thing that she carries. When she gets angry and her emotions get out of control, specters come out of the ground and attack whatever thing or person her anger is directed toward. So when Lowe and Hadley meet with some thugs who have been following Lowe and they start to do them harm, the specters come out (no one else can see them but Hadley) and suitcases on the train start flying everywhere.
Needless to say, Lowe and Hadley don’t get along very well when they first meet, but they are thrust together back in San Franciso when they realize they can mutually help each other. Hadely wants her father’s position, which has been promised to Lowe, and Lowe needs to find four crossbars that belong with the amulet to get his full payment. Hadley’s dead mother has hidden these crossbars and Hadley promises to help search for them if Lowe can convince her father to give her his position.
Lowe and Hadley’s relationship is really cute when they first meet. Cute because Hadley does not trust Lowe and Lowe can’t stop staring at her butt. He is a charmer, a scoundrel, and so very, very sexy – and he knows it. He knows his smile and easy lies off his tongue can get him out of most situations. Hadley is more serious and a bit cold, and Lowe’s charms don’t always work on her. So of course, Lowe then just wants to pursue her more because she is a challenge.
While at times I think the action and adventure in this book overshadows the romance, the action and adventure are still fun. We get a grand treasure map type story with lots of supernatural things and creatures to keep it exciting. It’s much more paranormal than the first book in my opinion.
Besides starting to trust Lowe, Hadley has issues with being touched that they have to overcome before their physical relationship can take that next step. She is quite open about not being touched and why she has this issue, so Lowe proceeds with caution.
By all accounts I liked this book but I still feel like there is a ‘but’ I need to talk about. When I finished I sat for a few minutes not 100% satisfied. There is one particular event towards the end that upset me a lot. I felt it was an unecessary death that just made me overall sad. Lowe is a swindler – he has replicas of things he has discovered made so he can sell the items more than once. I like that he has this flaw (among other things) yet I think I needed Hadley to come to terms with this more. She gets upset by it, yet I think she only comes around because she feels sorry for Lowe for something else that happens in this book. I guess I just needed a little more time at the end to believe Lowe and Hadley are compatible with each other and that she fully accepts Lowe.
All that being said, I love this author’s voice and the style of her books. They are fun, funny, action-packed with great sexual tension. Really well done world and characters. Can’t wait for Bo (oh I love me some Bo) and Astrid’s book next year!!
Rating: B
June 2, 2014
If there is one series that stands out with its originality and its imagination, it’s Jenn Bennett’s Roaring Twenties series. When I learned that the heroine, Hadley Bacall is a curator and the hero, Lowe Magnusson is an archaeologist, I knew I was going to love this book. I’m such a sucker for these type of stories. Not only is it steeped in history and old truths, but Bennett adds a magical element to it as well, catapulting this series into something in its own universe.
Hadley is cursed with these deadly spirits that often take over when her emotions get the best of her. However, she is finding it hard to keep her emotions in check when it comes to Lowe and the artefact that he is transporting for this father. In an effort to gain more highly prized artefacts, Hadley’s father tries to make a deal with Lowe. In return, Lowe will get a large sum of money, enough to cover his debts as well as a respected position that Hadley has worked all her life for. This puts them against each other as they try to determine if they can trust the other.
Jenn Bennett weaves a magical story here. I was floored with the amount of unique details and creatures she managed to add in this story. With majestic hybrid creatures, you can be sure that there will never be a dull moment in this book.
In addition to that, Hadley and Lowe have a wonderful romance. While Hadley doesn’t like to be touched, Lowe is quite patience with her. The sexual tension reaches a pinnacle and just when I thought the book would end without some sexy time, Bennett delivers with some wonderful scenes to keep me satisfied.
This book just cruised by. However, I felt that the last 50 pages or so really dialled up the adventure in this story. It was gut wrenching, sad and highly entertaining. If you haven’t been reading the Roaring Twenties series by Jenn Bennett, then you’re definitely missing out. With high octane action-adventure scenes in a highly creative world, Jenn Bennett stuns with her vivid imagination and eloquent writing. GRIM SHADOWS is not one to be missed!
*ARC provided by publisher
June 29, 2014
Roaring Twenties
I can't quite decide if I love this series so much because I've discovered a passion for the 20s era it's set in, or if I only love it so well because of Bennett's exquisitely sensual and clever writing, but either way, I'm definitely loving it! Grim Shadows is an excellent follow up to Bitter Spirits in every conceivable way.
We return to the delectable Magnusson brothers, this time with Lowe, younger brother of Winter from book one, who's just back from his grand adventures in Egypt, and is the bearer of a recently discovered and highly sought-after ancient artifact. It should be a triumphant return, but Lowe is feeling anything but proud of himself. He's in financial trouble, but would rather chew off his own arm than ask Winter for a hand out. He's also being pursued by those who seek to get their hands on the artifact via any means necessary.
Fortunately he meets Hadley, the rather dowdily-dressed owner of a seemingly captivating round, high bottom, and the unfortunate sufferer of ghostly sightings, who also happens to be the daughter of a wealthy collector desperate to get his hands of Lowe's recent find, but who is actually willing to pay for it, which is a novelty. Does this mean all his troubles are over? Not quite. Not only is the deal not so simple as cash on collection, it also means spending more time with Hadley who seems to be getting under his skin alarmingly quickly!
Hadley and Lowe together were exceptionally cute. I particularly loved the idea of Hadley being this uptight, studious woman, hiding her beauty under drab grey clothes, when really, she's passionate and fiery, with a penchant for extravagant lingerie - much to Lowe's delight! The way their relationship evolved was delightful and perfectly paced. I really was invested in them and their success as a couple.
Hadley's paranormal Sight and the side effects connected to the artifact brought some excellent heart-pounding scenes filled with high stakes action. That, combined with the sweet and sexy love story, was about all I could ask for from this book. It was a great read!
5 Stars ★★★★★
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I can't quite decide if I love this series so much because I've discovered a passion for the 20s era it's set in, or if I only love it so well because of Bennett's exquisitely sensual and clever writing, but either way, I'm definitely loving it! Grim Shadows is an excellent follow up to Bitter Spirits in every conceivable way.
We return to the delectable Magnusson brothers, this time with Lowe, younger brother of Winter from book one, who's just back from his grand adventures in Egypt, and is the bearer of a recently discovered and highly sought-after ancient artifact. It should be a triumphant return, but Lowe is feeling anything but proud of himself. He's in financial trouble, but would rather chew off his own arm than ask Winter for a hand out. He's also being pursued by those who seek to get their hands on the artifact via any means necessary.
Fortunately he meets Hadley, the rather dowdily-dressed owner of a seemingly captivating round, high bottom, and the unfortunate sufferer of ghostly sightings, who also happens to be the daughter of a wealthy collector desperate to get his hands of Lowe's recent find, but who is actually willing to pay for it, which is a novelty. Does this mean all his troubles are over? Not quite. Not only is the deal not so simple as cash on collection, it also means spending more time with Hadley who seems to be getting under his skin alarmingly quickly!
Hadley and Lowe together were exceptionally cute. I particularly loved the idea of Hadley being this uptight, studious woman, hiding her beauty under drab grey clothes, when really, she's passionate and fiery, with a penchant for extravagant lingerie - much to Lowe's delight! The way their relationship evolved was delightful and perfectly paced. I really was invested in them and their success as a couple.
Hadley's paranormal Sight and the side effects connected to the artifact brought some excellent heart-pounding scenes filled with high stakes action. That, combined with the sweet and sexy love story, was about all I could ask for from this book. It was a great read!
5 Stars ★★★★★
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Read
October 31, 2015: /
Buddy Read with Christina
Buddy Read with Christina
Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews